Mido Goes All Gold On The TV Big Date; Unimatic Teams Up With Automobili Amos; Benrus' Silver DTU; Bausele's Integrated Bracelet; Zeitwinkel Updates Central-Hander; VC's Stunning Traditionnelle QP

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. A late one today after a hectic week, but don’t forget, I missed an issue on Monday. You know what that means… Check your inbox tomorrow, because it’s a Saturday edition!

In this issue

• Mido Goes All Gold With The Most Recent Multifort TV Big Date

• UNIMATIC Teams Up With Automobili Amos To Support Them On The East African Classic Safari Rally

• Benrus Brings A Light Silver Dial To Their Vietnam-Era Legend, The DTU Field Watch

• Bausele Jumps On The Integrated Bracelet Train With The Elemental Collection

• Zeitwinkel Updates Their Iconic Central-Hander With New Dial Colors

• Vacheron Constantin Introduces Two New 36.5mm Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thins

👂What’s new

1/

Mido Goes All Gold With The Most Recent Multifort TV Big Date

I’m a sucker for Mido. While a large part of their lineup are decent, stylish and mostly traditional looking watches, every now and again they come out with something fantastic. Take a look at the Ocean Star GMT, a fantastic looking watch. Or the Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer, currently one of my favorite watches on sale. Or the incredible Multifort TV Big Date S01E01 and the S01E02 followup. They really do know how to make a fun watch. And their Multifort TV is such a great platform. Now, there’s a new version of the TV Big Date, but one that’s a bit more serious. Ever wanted to rock a 70s inspired TV-shaped watch that’s all gold? Well, Mido has your back with the new Multifort TV Big Date with a gold colored case and bracelet.

The new Multifort TV Big Date comes in a stainless steel three part case that gets a yellow gold PVD coating and measures 40mm wide, 11.5mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 46.85mm. It’s unlike most watches out there in terms of proportions, but it’s easy to get used to. The finishing is a combination of brushed and polished surfaces that make it look less like a gimmick and more like a true watch. On top is a flat sapphire crystal, on the right prominent crown guards and water resistance is rated at 100 meters.

The dial has horizontal, brushed grooves with a gradient from gold in the middle to black on the periphery. The gold is paired with recessed round indices and rectangular markers at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock that are filled with white Super-LumiNova. The same white can be found on the gold baton hour and minute hands. Of course, at 12 o’clock is the signature big date window with black date discs and white numerals.

Inside, you’ll find the trusty Powermatic 80, with its shock-resistant and anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring, 4Hz beat rate and 80 hour power reserve. The movement is equipped with a customised Mido rotor with Geneva stripes. The watch comes on stainless steel bracelet that gets the same groovy gold finish.

The new Mido Multifort TV Big Date in gold is part of the regular collection and it’s priced at €1,360. See more on the Mido website.

2/

UNIMATIC Teams Up With Automobili Amos To Support Them On The East African Classic Safari Rally

Ever since the Singer Porsche restomod effort exploded in popularity, driving the prices of these complete modernizations of classic 911s well into seven figures, every kid whose dad had a few dozen million to spend and a garage tried their hands at restomodding. You can buy a restomodded Defender, Alfa, Jaguar, or about 300.000 versions of the 911, none of which will even come close to Singer (except for Tuthill, those people are insane). Restomodding has become a cliche as much as themed microbrands have in the watch world. But just like we get a microbrand like Farer that rises above the others, so do we get Automobili Amos. I don’t know who’s running that shop, or what they’re all about, all that I know is that it’s a good thing I’m not a rich man because I would quickly become a poor man buying every single thing they make. They take inspiration from old rally Lancias and create what must be the coolest restomods in the world. I’m not kidding, check it out for yourself. But this is a watch newsletter, so the reason for my drooling over Amos is their collaboration with fellow Italians, Unimatic on the Modello Tre Fixed Bezel ref. U3FB-AAG in Verde Foresta and the Modello Tre ref. U3FB-AAS in Safari Dust created as special editions to mark Automobili Amos founder Eugenio Amos’ participation in the 2025 East African Classic Safari Rally.

The collaboration is build on the Unimatic "Modello Tre" chronograph, which means that you get a stainless steel case with a brushed finish. It measures 41.5mm wide and 13.7mm thick. On top is a flat, broad, fixed, with a deep acid-etched tachymeter, and on the side are knurled pushers and crown that both screw down. Water resistance is great at 300 meters.

The dials reflect the environment of the rally itself: the Verde Foresta version channels the deep green intensity of East Africa’s wooded terrain, while the Safari Dust colorway draws inspiration from sunbaked desert stages and ochre gravel tracks. Both variants feature sand-colored second rails and time is indicated with phantom ladder hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova® GL dark orange, paired with a reversed lollipop seconds hand and safari orange chronograph accents.

Inside, you’ll find the Seiko VK64 meca-quartz chronograph which uses a quartz movement to keep track of the time, and a mechanical movement to run the chronograph. The watches come on color-matched TPU two-piece quick-release straps.

The new UNIMATIC x Automobili Amos Modello Tre Fixed Bezel Rally Editions will be available for preorder exclusively during the 2025 East African Classic Safari Rally from December 5th to December 13th, limited to 150 pieces per colorway, priced at €675 without tax. See more on the Unimatic website.

3/

Benrus Brings A Light Silver Dial To Their Vietnam-Era Legend, The DTU Field Watch

In 1964, the Benrus DTU-2A/P was developed in response to updated U.S. military specifications for a reliable, precise field watch. Designed for the Vietnam War era, it combined rugged, no-nonsense construction with a clear, legible dial for quick reading in the field. With deep ties to the military since 1921, Benrus became the first brand to win the MIL-W-3818B contract, producing official mil-spec watches for U.S. troops, later inspiring the legendary Type I. Benrus currently still makes the DTU and it is a very attractive field watch with a lot of history behind it. You can get the regular black dial, a black dial with a black case and a bronze case with a deep green dial. And from recently, you can also get the Benrus DTU Shield, which comes with a really nice silver dial.

This is the same DTU case we’ve seen before, which means that it is made out of stainless steel, with a very nice sandblasted finish, and it measures a fairly conventional 38mm wide, 10.7mm thick, with a 44.9mm lug-to-lug. On top is a double domed sapphire crystal, out back is a closed caseback and the crown screws down to give you 100 meters of water resistance.

What’s new with this watch is the dial. Technically, the setup remains the same, with large Arabic numerals on the outside and a smaller 24 hour track on the inside. On the outside is a minute scale with triangular hour markers filled with cream lume. The same lume shows up on the hands. The hands, the numerals, the minute scale and all the write is done in black, to stand out from the new silver dial and it looks great.

Inside, you’ll be surprised to find the ETA 2829. The surprise comes from the fact that ETA doesn’t really sell movements outside the Swatch Group, its owner. But here it is, beating at 4Hz, with a 42 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a tan fabric strap.

The new Benrus DTU Shield is available now, priced at $1,595. See more on the Benrus website.

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Bausele Jumps On The Integrated Bracelet Train With The Elemental Collection

I haven’t written about the Australian Bausele brand for a while, which is a shame because I really like their divers. But since they are an Australian brand, it only makes sense that they come out with the majority of their releases during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, as they are heating up down under and ready to break out the divers. Their latest release, however, is less of a diver and leans more to the casual side of sports watches. This is the Bausele Elemental Collection, their first take on an integrated-bracelet sports watch.

These are some pretty standard dimensions we are dealing with here. The case has a barrel shape, it’s made out of stainless steel and measures 40mm wide, 12.2mm thick and has a somewhat compact 46mm lug-to-lug, thanks to the integrated bracelet. There’s also a bit of trickery going on inside, as it features an internal floating capsule for the movement with rubber buffers for shock protection and an anti-magnetic caseback. On top is a domed sapphire crystal with an internal magnifier over the date, surrounded by a dual-scale bezel, one showing a 60 minute counter and the other a 12-hour one, making it easy to track a second time zone. Water resistance is 200 meters.

The dials are fantastic. There are two colors to choose from, the Oceanic Blue gets a turquoise dial that fades to almost black on the edges, while the Inferno Black has an almost black purple center of the dial, trailing to a black. Both dials have the same sandwich construction, with the bottom part getting all the color and a wonderful jagged texture. On top of that is a transparent disc that holds the applied indices and Bausele’s logo. There are two more details that differentiate them — since its inception, Bausele watches have had sand from Australia’s beaches embedded in the crowns and these are no different. The Oceanic Blue gets sand from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, while the Inferno Black has black volcanic sand from Currumbin’s Elephant Rock.

Inside, you’ll find the very familiar Sellita SW200 movement which beats at 4Hz and has a 38 hour power reserve. The watches come on an integrated stainless steel bracelet that tapers from 26mm to 18mm and closes with a clasp that has micro-adjust. The bracelet has a nice combination of brushed, polished, and sandblasted finishes.

I have a bit of a confession to make. I messed up with this one. This was a limited release and I didn’t notice it in time. So, I just wasted a bunch of your time, I know. And I apologize for this. But, knowing Bausele, another release of Elemental watches will come out soon, and I just wanted you to get to know them before they come out. I hope you don’t mind. You might hate me more when you find out the price — €650, which is a fantastic price for these stats, even though it’s without tax. See more on the Bausele website.

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Zeitwinkel Updates Their Iconic Central-Hander With New Dial Colors

It’s been 16 years since a small but feisty Swiss indy Zeitwinkel released a couple of central-hand watches that showed that even if you’re not part of a huge group, you can still make some pretty great watches. Now, they are finally updating this duo of watches — a central seconds hand in the model 082° or one with just hours and minutes in model 312° — with new dials, available in two case sizes. But before we go on, I’ll say that the watch with the galvanic silver pictured above is not my favorite — that would be the glacier blue — but it is the picture that shows off the most impressive thing about Zeitwinkel: their actual in-house developed and produced movements, something not often seen on such a scale and such a price.

The cases of the Zeitwikels remains largely unchanged, and for good reason, since they are so timeless. Made out of stainless steel, there are two sizes to choose from. The smaller measures 39mm wide and 11.6mm thick, while the larger one is 42.5mm wide and 11.7mm thick, pretty much covering the majority of wrist sizes. On top is a domed sapphire crystal, held down with a simple bezel, while out back is a flat sapphire crystal. Nothing stands out particularly, other than the interesting crown that isn’t serrated but rather has 12 wide grooves cut into it. Water resistance is 50 meters.

The new dials are fresh and familiar at the same time, and all about subtle craftsmanship. There are three new colors to choose from: a galvanic light silver, a galvanic anthracite or a glacier blue. They are all wonderful sector dials, with central parts that feature a deep W pattern, surrounded by a snailed ring that holds the Arabic numerals and indices and a smooth ring with the seconds indication. The hands are diamond cut, with one model having just the hour and minute hands, and the other adding a blued seconds hand. In true classic form, there’s no date aperture, but the movement allows for the addition of one.

Speaking of the movement, that’s where things get really good. It’s the brand’s actual in-house ZW0102 automatic movement with 28 jewels, a beat rate of 28,800vph (4Hz) and a 72-hour power reserve. All plates and bridges are made of untreated German silver with hand decorations including chamfering, perlage and Côtes de Genève. There’s even decoration on the underside of movement, where they won’t be seen. The watches can be had on a large number of strap options.

The new Zeitwinkel models are available now, priced at CHF CHF 14,900 without tax. See more on the Zeitwinkel website.

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Vacheron Constantin Introduces Two New 36.5mm Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thins

Looking at the 36.5mm Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, and knowing the legacy of Vacheron Constantin, one would expect it have been in their catalogue for decades. At least from the 1990s, if not longer. So, you might be surprised to learn that it was introduced just three years ago. At the time, VC sold the Traditionnelle QP as a women’s watch, with diamonds and gemstones. But what they actually had on their hands was a sensationally dimensioned, wonderfully complicated and very handsome dress watch. That’s why we’re now getting the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin in 36.5mm cases made out of white or pink gold, with no diamonds and elegant opaline dials.

Thanks to a very beautiful movement, this is an incredibly compact watch, despite the amount of complication. Like I said, you can get it in either white or pink gold, and the case measures 36.5mm wide and a stunning 8.43mm thick. It’s a very traditional round case with straight lugs and a polished finish. On top is a sapphire crystal with an elegant bezel surrounding it. Water resistance is 30 meters.

Moving on to the dial, this is one of those watches that I need to see in real life to figure out how they managed to include so much information onto such a small dial. The base, regardless of the material, is a silver-opaline color with three snailed sub-dials that show the month and leap year at 12 o’clock, the date at 3 and the day of the week at 9, while at 6 o’clock is a moon phase aperture. That’s a hell of a lot of info to convey. The sub-dials have gold hands, while time is told with gold faceted Dauphine hour and minute hands that point to applied baton markers.

The movement that makes all of this possible is the in-house automatic calibre 1120 QP that’s just 4.05mm thick. It beats at a slightly unusual 2.75Hz and has a 40 hour power reserve. It has the Hallmark of Geneva certification, with decorations including Côtes de Genève on the bridges and on the openworked rotor, as well as their Maltese Cross emblem, and a 22k gold outer segment. The watches come on alligator leather straps, brown on the white gold and a beautiful blue on the rose gold.

The new Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is available now and priced at CHF 86,500, regardless of the material. See more on the Vacheron Constantin website.

⏲️End links

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• AI's prose haunts our feeds—em dashes, "delve," ghost whispers, triplet mantras—like a thesaurus-fueled shut-in mimicking humanity. From Starbucks notes to political speeches, its eerie tics ("It's not X, it's Y") flood culture, outshining Shakespeare in polls. As machines weave tapestries of emptiness, humans unwittingly echo back.

• A century ago, artists who survived the trenches of World War I captured humanity’s capacity for destruction, but also the collective potential for revolution. Naomi Klein asks what the Surrealists can they teach us about confronting the far-right in a new age?

• Fortell, an AI-powered hearing aid promising to revolutionize the aural experience, is captivating elite circles in New York City. Combining cutting-edge source separation algorithms with custom real-time processing chips, Fortell dramatically outperforms existing devices in noisy environments like cocktail parties. Despite limited availability and a steep $6,800 price, early testers including billionaires and celebrities rave about its life-changing clarity.​

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One video you have to watch today

I miss Norm Macdonald so much. He was incredible.

Thanks for reading,
Vuk